A severe rainstorm prevented a pitched battle near Philadelphia, allowing Washington's weakened Continental Army to escape destruction.
Key Facts
- Date
- September 16, 1777
- Location
- Near present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania
- Distance between armies
- Less than 10 miles miles
- Cartridges ruined by rain
- Tens of thousands
- Preceding engagement
- Battle of Brandywine (American defeat)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the American defeat at the Battle of Brandywine, British commander William Howe learned that Washington's weakened Continental Army was encamped fewer than ten miles away. Seeking another decisive victory, Howe advanced his forces to press the engagement before the Americans could recover.
On September 16, 1777, as the two armies approached one another near present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania, a sudden torrential downpour ruined tens of thousands of American cartridges and rendered the battlefield impassable with rain and mud, making a conventional engagement impossible.
Significantly outnumbered and with his ammunition supply destroyed by rain, Washington ordered a retreat. The British, slowed by mud and poor conditions, were unable to pursue effectively, allowing the Continental Army to withdraw intact and continue resisting the British advance on Philadelphia.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
George Washington.
Side B
1 belligerent
William Howe.